The ‘Prince Dara Shikoh riding a royal elephant’ from a Royal Album of Shah Jahan in Mughal, India (1628–30CE) by Balchand.
The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) will open its “Marvellous Creatures: Animal Fables in Islamic Art” exhibition to the public today at the museum’s Special Exhibitions Gallery. It will run until July 11 and entry is free.
Under the patronage of Qatar Museums Chairperson, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the exhibition focuses on the real and mythical animals that appear in the legends, tales, and fables of the Islamic world.
Divided into the natural quadrants of fire, air, earth and water, these creatures introduce well-known and beloved classics including Kalila wa Dimna, the Shahnameh, and One Thousand and One Nights.
The wide variety of objects presented in the Marvellous Creatures exhibition – manuscripts, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, glass, and metalwork – dating from the 10th to the 19th centuries, demonstrate the enduring appeal of these characters and stories across diverse cultures and generations. The illustrations and motifs seen in the exhibition reflect the diversity of Islamic art production.
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through a vibrant sensory experience, using storytelling in its variety of forms – from colourful illustrations and visual displays, to audio stories and animation.
“The timeless tales of Kalila wa Dimna, the Shahnameh, and One Thousand and One Nights highlighted in the exhibition will appeal across the community and diverse cultures, including children, young people, and families,” said MIA director Aisha al-Khater.
“We hope that this exhibition successfully introduces these stories to our audience who will carry the meaning of the tales into their own lives, and draw on their artistic and literary heritage to better understand the natural world and their place within it,” she added.
A series of child friendly and family activities at MIA such as interactive storytelling, late night family tours, puppet shows and creative art workshops will also be held. It also includes a workshop where children can create their own marvellous creatures.
MIA is also offering the wider community a rich agenda of activities and seminars. To open the show, a special “Shahnameh” seminar will be delivered by renowned scholars Dr Sheila Canby and artist Hamid Rahmanian. The seminar will explore the historic and artistic development of the Shahnameh, the famed epic poem that tells the stories of the heroes and rulers of ancient Persia.
Additionally, MIA will offer late night tours, an evening talk titled: ‘Spot the Elephant: Royal Processions in Mina’i and Lustreware’, and a Karag?z puppet show called ‘Garbage Monster’ by the Istanbul Karag?z Puppet Foundation.
A colourfully-illustrated exhibition album, highlighting key objects and stories featured in the exhibition is also available at the MIA Gift Shop.
